Here's RoRo's look at the film. So what type of person/movie person is RoRo? Well we've been the best of friends for about 22 years. Below he lists his 'film rating system', but I can tell you from a gigantic amount of filmgoing experience with this guy and it comes to this. It's either, "That movie fucking stunk" or "That movie was the Shit!" This review is a "That movie was the shit!" Of my friends RoRo probably sees the least, but that's still about 2 a week, not counting video. He's a bit on the wacky side, trying to get everyone to go out to the gun range to kill those dangerous paper targets and feel the power of life and death in between those meaty claws of his. But be at rest, he hardly ever shoots at people. That's what his movie going is for. When I talked to him on the phone about this flick, he loved it. He didn't say much, like he was still a deer in headlights, so the film rocked his perceptions something fierce. I can't friggin believe I have to wait till Saturday for this one. ARGH!!!
Saving private Ryan deserves every award it earns and, in my book, it has earned most of them. I have a simple rating system:
-Your sock drawer deserves your time more than the movie in question (ie Kull the Conquerer.)
-it is a ninety-nine cent rental (ie most/all steven segal movies, godzilla.)
-a two dollar rental (ie toys, brady bunch, etc.)
-a new release priced rental (ie jennifer 8, event horizon, etc.)
-a matinee movie (ie gingerbread man, bulworth.)
-and a feature film. See it in a nice theater with the expensive sound.
All levels have an intrinsic entertainment value with the exception of the sock drawer rating where I feel somebody owes me some money for my time. Some movies will even get a matinee value just so the effects can be appreciated (ie twister.)
As with Saving Private Ryan, I would see it as soon as possible because your going to want to see it again before it is booted out of the nice big theater. I will guarantee that this movie will get a minimum of two more full price tickets from my wallet and I would have paid full price for this one if I hadn't gotten in for free.
I can't speak of realism as I have not been in a war but I can describe how I felt. I was mentally exhausted by the flow of chaos and imagery spielberg presented. Only two other movies have done this to me; Schindlers List and Glen Gary, Glen Ross. The first person-like camera work in the battle sequences were genius and piped the confusion right into me. Goddamnit, just see it....at least twice.
